1. Real Weddings

Alexandra & Ben: A Traditional Wedding in Toronto Islands, ON

When Alexandra Robinson met Ben Fawcett at a party, the two felt an instant connection. Both of them were in long-distance relationships at the time,

When Alexandra Robinson met Ben Fawcett at a party, the two felt an instant connection. Both of them were in long-distance relationships at the time, but a year later, when those romances had fizzled out, the couple started their own relationship. The Bride Alexandra Robinson, 35, event coordinator The Groom Benjamin (Ben) Fawcett, 35, portfolio manager The Date June 28 Fast-forward three years: The couple was on a romantic getaway in France when Ben proposed. Alexandra accepted and the planning for a traditional summer wedding at a yacht club got underway.

Alexandra wore a silk, strapless dress with a ruched bodice and an elegant A-line silhouette. Her maids wore tea-length dresses with Empire waists in various shades of purple and pink. Ben and his groomsmen sported traditional tuxes.
Alexandra and Ben’s female guests were treated to glass, cork-topped bottles filled with relaxing Epsom salts in three scents -- vanilla, strawberry, and lavender. Male guests received beaded key chains from Tanzania. The homemade escort cards doubled as favors.
The Royal Canadian Yacht Club ferried guests to and from the island. Once they were on dry land, Alexandra and Ben made their getaway in a silver Bentley.
Alexandra and Ben wed in the rose garden of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club. The Toronto skyline, colonial clubhouse, and lake provided a beautiful backdrop for their vows. The couple’s huppah, made from white birch and covered with pink and purple flowers, was topped with Ben’s kikoys (a traditional cotton wrap worn by East Africans) to incorporate a part of Ben’s childhood spent in Kenya and Tanzania.
As guests entered Alexandra and Ben’s ceremony, groomsmen offered Japanese paper cups filled with petals for tossing. The bride created the cups herself.
White piping added an interesting contrast to Alexandra and Ben’s white, three-tiered wedding cake. The cake was decorated with a delicate lavender ribbon around each tier and topped with a burst of fuchsia and purple flowers.
At the reception, round tables featured tall, fluted vases with white gladiolus. The white flowers were offset by tall, deep purple delphiniums and even taller pink stock flowers. Menus that incorporated a pink and purple chateau design were tucked neatly into the napkins.
The Ceremony Decor
The couple shared their first dance to Michael Buble’s “Everything.” Ben wanted to learn a choreographed dance to impress the guests; most knew that Alexandra had been a professional dancer. After a lot of practice, the couple pulled off a complicated routine complete with spins, dips, and drops. “Everyone was incredibly impressed with Ben,” says the bride.